I will vote no on Measure X and hope the majority of my fellow Modestans do the same. Here’s why:

Follow the money; you can tell a lot about a ballot proposition by where the money comes from to support it. In this case, it’s simple. Measure X money is coming from the police and firefighters unions – the organizations with the most to gain.

Regardless of the clever signs that lead you to believe you’re voting for public safety services, there is no guarantee that any of the tax money collected from Measure X will be spent on adding police officers or firefighters.

This will hurt Modesto business. Supporters are quick to say that it’s only 1 percent and that it is temporary. Look at it correctly. It is a 15 percent increase in the sales tax Modesto residents will pay on purchases in the city. Many shoppers (I will be one of them) will shop in neighboring cities to avoid the tax, with the net result that actual tax revenue will be lower than that promised by the framers of Measure X.

I urge you to join me in rejecting a misleading and ill-conceived measure.